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Movers & Shakers: RealTruck Revs Up Easter Jeep Safari With Launch of New Apparel Line

RealTruck Revs Up Easter Jeep Safari With Launch of New Apparel Line

RealTruckRealTruck Inc. has recently launched its first-ever apparel line, which will be available for purchase at Easter Jeep Safari during the last two days of the Moab, Utah, event. RealTruck, a Safari sponsor, recently dropped the collection online to celebrate the passion truck owners have for their way of life.

The apparel and accessories collection includes five T-shirts, three hats and one hoodie, as well as an assortment of custom-designed graphic stickers for outdoor enthusiasts. Each T-shirt option will be offered in both male and female styles. Many of the items are already on RealTruck’s apparel page and all will be available upon the conclusion of Easter Jeep Safari.

The nine-day event is hosted by local off-roading group, Red Rock 4-Wheelers Inc. It consists of day-long trail rides departing from Moab, Utah, in which participants provide their own vehicles, safety equipment and needs. RealTruck will leverage Easter Jeep Safari as a platform to showcase the new clothing line while connecting with consumers. The brand’s booths will be located inside and outside of Old Spanish Trail Arena during the vendor show.

Tread Lightly! Announces OVR: Outdoor Vehicle Recreation @OVRmag as Official Partner

Tread Lightly! has announced Outdoor Vehicle Recreation (OVR) magazine its newest official partner along with a new gift for all Tread Lightly! members. As an official partner of Tread Lightly!, OVR will support Tread Lightly!’s mission to protect off-road trail access and public lands through stewardship projects and responsible recreation education.

OVR is a print and digital magazine that is all about Outdoor, Vehicle, Recreation. OVR serves the needs of vehicle-based outdoor enthusiasts. As a partner of Tread Lightly!, OVR  will present a gift one-year digital subscription to every Tread Lightly! member with no credit card required. Details can be found on Tread Lightly! Member Benefits page.

For more information on OVR, visit www.ovrmag.com. To learn more about Tread Lightly!, visit www.treadlightly.org.

320hp Acura Integra Type S Full Reveal Coming Next Month

Acura has announced the ’24 Integra Type S will launch this summer with 320 hp, 310 lb.-ft. of torque and class-leading power-to-weight ratio, taking Integra performance to its highest levels yet. With power derived from a race-proven, high-revving 2.0L VTEC turbocharged engine and paired exclusively with a precise, short-throw six-speed manual transmission, the Integra Type S promises ultimate street performance delivered with premium appointments. Geared for a new generation of enthusiast drivers, the ’24 Integra Type S will be officially revealed next month ahead of the 48th annual Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach.

Polaris Launches Polaris Xchange Powersports Marketplace

Polaris Inc. has launched Polaris Xchange—a one-stop online marketplace provides customers the ability to shop, research and start the buying process on thousands of off-road vehicles, snowmobiles, motorcycles, side-by-sides, auto-cycles and ATVs from participating Polaris dealers nationwide.

Polaris Xchange is designed to offer consumers the tools they need to start the buying process from the comfort of their homes, including: finding the vehicle, viewing used vehicle history and condition reports, shopping for accessories, indicating interest in protection products, determining trade-in value and prequalifying for a loan. From there, the customer needs to complete the purchase and pick up the vehicle from a dealer or have it delivered.

Polaris Xchange also provides value to Polaris dealers who can publish their new and used inventory online increasing visibility, reach and awareness to shoppers.

With JoyDrive as a technology partner, Polaris Xchange will showcase used powersports inventory from all powersports manufacturers as well as available inventory of new Polaris vehicles at participating dealers. For more information, visit www.polarisxchange.com.

NASA Names Replacement for Retiring Jerry Kunzman

Officials with the National Auto Sport Association (NASA) have announced co-founder and executive director Jerry Kunzman will retire in 2023. He will continue to serve as the regional director of NASA’s Northern California region. Jeremy Croiset, current COO, will replace Kunzman as CEO. NASA was founded by Kunzman and Ali Arsham in 1991. Croiset joined the organization in 2005 to help manage sponsorship and marketing duties. In 2010, he was promoted to director of business development before being named vice president in 2018. In April 2020, he was named COO.

FASTRAKFASTRAK and Ultimate Series Sold to Bill and Stacy Lupinos

Stan Lester—the founder of the Carnesville, Georgia-based FASTRAK Racing Series and the ULTIMATE Super Late Model Series—has sold both series to Bill and Stacy Lupinos. Bill, currently the FASTRAK vice president, also owns and operates FASTRAK’s Heart of America USLMS (ULTIMATE HoA) and Richmond Speedway in Richmond, Kentucky, with his wife Stacy. For more information, visit the FASTRAK announcement here.

All Star Circuit of Champions Promote Kevin Nouse as Series Director

Officials with the Brownsburg, Indiana-based Tezos All Star Circuit of Champions presented by Mobil 1 organization have announced Kevin Nouse has been promoted to the position of series director for 2023 and beyond. Nouse is a sprint-car racing veteran who joined All Star as a technical official in 2022, when he also served as a point of contact between the pit area and scoring tower. Nouse will maintain responsibilities on the grounds before transitioning to the scoring tower in 2024.

In addition, longtime scorer and current operations director Ross Paulson will assume the race director role in 2023. Brad Hockaday will serve as the scorer for most events. The voice of the All Stars Blake Anderson will continue as the series announcer. The All Stars will also welcome back technical officials: Ken Osborne, John Menear, and Steve Topper. Erin Noel returns as pit steward and social media content creator. Jeffry “Gooch” Patterson will drive the official series pace truck.

The All Star Circuit of Champions points season begins at Attica Raceway Park (Attica, Ohio) for the Core & Main Spring Nationals on April 7–8.

NHRA Names Mike Eames Northwest Division Director

Officials with the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) have announced the addition of Mike Eames as the division director of the Northwest Division, also known as Division 6. Eames will oversee NHRA member tracks in Alaska, Alberta (Canada), British Columbia (Canada), Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington.

Before the announcement, Eames served as the general manager at Rocky Mountain Raceways (West Valley City, Utah), awarded NHRA Division 7 Track of the Year in 2018 under his leadership. He also has spent time in the NHRA announcer’s booth at NHRA divisional and national events.

Eames joins a team of division directors who oversee the seven NHRA divisions throughout the United States and internationally. The Northwest Division sees several Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series events throughout the season and the Flav-R-Pac NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways in Seattle as part of the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series.

The US Department of Energy and Stellantis Announce the Battery Workforce Challenge

StellantisThe U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and Stellantis have announced the launch of the Battery Workforce Challenge, which includes a three-year collegiate engineering competition; vocational training; youth education in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM); and career and technical education.

DOE has set a bold target to address climate change, and puts the United States on a path to achieve net-zero emissions, economy-wide, by 2050. Key to this target goal are the design and development of advanced batteries to electrify the transportation and energy sectors and a highly skilled domestic workforce with the hands-on experience and knowledge needed for in-demand positions throughout the electric-vehicle/battery industry.

Managed by Argonne National Laboratory for DOE and co-sponsored by Stellantis, this government and industry partnership is designed to build the next generation of engineers, technicians and workers to address the unprecedented demand for a domestic electric-vehicle/battery workforce.

Kicking off in fall 2023, the Battery Workforce Challenge includes an advanced battery design and development student competition series that invites universities and vocational schools from across North America to design, build, test and integrate an advanced electric-vehicle battery into a future Stellantis vehicle. Teams will follow real-world industry milestones focused on battery design, simulation, controls development, testing and vehicle integration and demonstration.

Argonne is now accepting applications from colleges and universities to select up to 11 teams that will participate in the Battery Workforce Challenge collegiate and vocational program. Proposals may be submitted from four-year universities located in the continental United States that are accredited by the Accreditation Board of Engineering Technology (ABET), and four-year universities located in Canada that are accredited by the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB). Non-accredited schools, such as community colleges, trade schools and apprenticeship programs, may participate as a partner to an accredited university as part of the vocational collaboration requirement. For more background about the Battery Workforce Challenge, visit www.battchallenge.org.

Atlanta Motorsports Park Becomes First Race Track to Install Level 3 Fast Chargers for High-Performance EVs

Atlanta Motorsports ParkIn partnership with Indigo Energy, Atlanta Motorsports Park (AMP) has become the first race track in the United States to install five brand-new Autel MaxiCharger DC Fast Level 3 Chargers. These EV “superchargers” offer up to 180kW of charging, providing up to 125 miles of range in 10 minutes with a maximum 400A output current. A total charge requires just 20–30 minutes for most vehicles.

Located close to member garages, the five Autel MaxiCharger DC Fast charging stations provide ease-of-access when both coming to and getting off the track. Manufacturer Autel promises that the chargers will provide continued software compatibility with new vehicles, and the chargers are already compatible with all vehicles of IEC standards.

The addition of the chargers is the latest move AMP has made in an effort to act as a pioneer to EV motorsports. Looking to the future, the track anticipates that many states could soon follow California’s lead, with plans to phase out the sale of internal combustion vehicles totally or completely within the next 50 years. Many AMP members have been early adopters of EV powertrains, with some banding together to form EV-focused garages specifically designed to bring the most performance out of any electric vehicle.

K&N Repositions for Growth With New Intake System Pricing and Line Extension

K&N Engineering has announced a series of changes designed to make its products more accessible and affordable for customers. Effective immediately, K&N will reduce prices across intake products within the K&N brand family, including AEM, Airaid and Spectre. This decision comes after two years of challenges due to the labor, material costs and supply-chain disruptions that have driven up pricing for the industry as a whole.

K&N has been able to reduce some operational costs through increased efficiencies in manufacturing, including improved performance from its new plant in Grand Prairie, Texas, and greater efficiencies in the supply chain.

Furthermore, the company has announced new development of more than 50 intakes with both Dryflow synthetic and oiled cotton options on new and top-selling applications in the coming months. Additionally, K&N is bringing back discontinued SKUs to offer additional options for less-popular vehicles.

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